A NEW FAMILY TRADITION
by GoldAngel2
Summary: The Himura Family is adapting the western custom of having a Christmas tree which becomes a healing balm as a snowstorm haunts Kenshin with bloody memories and a Christmas miracle takes place. Merry Christmas


_Author's note: Here's a Christmas present for everyone waiting for Book 2 of "Portrait in Blue" with my profound apologies. For the latter part of the summer and all of the fall I have been occupied with the publishing of my original work, including creating illustrations for it and been doing the contractual revisions to the first and final drafts. But as of Friday the final corrections were completed along with the selection of the artwork to be included in the book so writing is resuming after the holidays, providing the muse begins to talk (I've been shushing it as The Gleaning Time has been my priority). So enjoy this mildly fluffy holiday fare from me. As usual, RurKen is not mine, it belongs to Sony, Shonen Jump and Watsuki Nobuhiro._

**A NEW FAMILY TRADITION**

It was a chilly morning in the month of December, in the fourteenth year of the Meiji in the growing city of Tokyo. As such many people were milling about, their paths taking them to work or to the ever busy marketplace where all sorts of daily wares were found. This was the case for the trio that made up the young Himura Kenshin family, led by the former hitokiri himself, now a devoted husband and father. He strolled along with his wife, the lively and beautiful Kamiya Kaoru, master of the now thriving Kamiya-Kasshin dojo and her carrying their small son, Kenji. At three years, he was a miniature image of his father with unruly coppery hair tied back and eyes of a violet hue with just a hint of blue, yet he had acquired his mother's fiery manner and strong will, often testing both of his parents as he sought to do as he wished. This was the case today as he squirmed energetically to be let down to roam the crowd on his own, much to Kaoru's consternation.

"Mou, mou, Keni-chan. Onegai be still." She sighed as Kenji's impatience showed in his face, screwed up to set to bawling any minute.

Kenshin could not help but chuckle as he watched the two strong wills clash and he stated, "I think you'd best let him down, koi. He's quite the handful and he might aim a punch at you unintentionally. He's got quite the right hook, that he does."

"But I don't want him to run off, Kenshin. I have to get our miso and rice and no telling where he might head off to. He's--," her statement was cut short suddenly.

"Ohhh!"

Kaoru grunted as Kenshin's prophecy came true and Kenji's tiny fist connected with her wrist with enough force to make it let go and free him. The determined toddler tumbled down and then shot to his feet to scoot off, but was grabbed by the arm by his father, whose quick hitokiri reflexes and superior strength kept him from getting lost in the crowd causing the boy to react with a whine. Yet ever the loving spouse, Kenshin gazed at his wife in concern, ignoring his son's anger.

"Are you all right, koishii?"

Nodding her head Kaoru rubbed her stinging wrist and muttered, "You weren't joking. He's been hanging around with Yahiko too much. He's gotten to be quite a hellion." Scowling she squatted down and shook a finger at her son, who now seeing how he had hurt his mother had a look of dread on his face.

"Himura Kenji, you are not to hit me again." Her lovely face was earnest and Kenji's violet-blue eyes were wide and welled with tears at the seriousness of his action. He adored his mother and was very distressed at knowing he had hurt her.

"G-gomen, o-okaa," Kenji sniffled as tears rolled down his rosy cheek. He broke away from Kenshin's grasp and plastered himself to Kaoru's neck and her arms encircled him as his little body shook with sobs.

"Shhhh, hush now, Keni-chan. It's all right, I'm not hurt." Kaoru soothed the little one as Kenshin joined them and laid a hand on his son's head to add his own words for discipline sake.

"Kenji, You must never hit okaa-san again, that you mustn't" he said sternly, as Kenji turned and glared at his father through his tears, drawing a shake of the head and chuckle from Kenshin at the boy's strong animosity toward him. He removed his hand and made an observation.

"Well, it seems that you still can't get used to sessha, that it doesn't."

Kenshin's words aptly described his son's frequent and pathological distrust of him. Ever since he had learned to walk, the boy he brought into this world had an unexplainable aversion to him, fussing when Kenshin picked him up to hold him, with only Kaoru's intervention to keep him from squalling. As a man who loved his son with everything in him this bothered Kenshin but as with all things in his life that caused him pain, he covered his hurt in a gentle smile. Only Kaoru knew the truth behind the fleeting flash of desolation in the violet depths of his eyes whenever their baby rejected him. She also knew it was Kenshin's own deep seated sense of unworthiness that accepted the behavior as a part of his penance for a blood soaked past. It was the same reason he still referred to her as "dono" sometimes, and no matter how many times she chided him, it was something that had roots too deep to completely eradicate. Kenji pouted as he again turned away from his sire and made to bury his face in the safety of his mother's shoulder but as he did his eye caught something and again he began to squirm. Kaoru sighed in exasperation as she tried to control her strong-willed child.

"Mou, Kenji what is it now?" Kaoru asked as the boy began to tug at her kimono and pointed to a shop down the street where a crowd had gathered.

"Okaa, okaa, look! Look!"

Kenji's determination was ironclad as he grabbed Kaoru's hand and practically dragged her in the direction of a floral and plant shop, known for their elaborate arrangements for budusans in people's homes, the establishment of the artisan Yukimura Nobuhiro. But as she and her husband were led to the shop by their intrepid offspring they too became transfixed by what had caught the attention of a large crowd and their son, who pushed his way to the front with the other children in the throng.

"Ohhhh! Kenji's eyes were wide gentian saucers as he gazed up at a most unusual spectacle.

Outside the shop, right by the doorway was a tall and full spruce, an evergreen tree that grew abundantly in the northern lands of Japan and was scarce in the Honshu prefecture. It was in a wooden bucket with soil but in addition to the oddity of the tree itself, it was lavishly decorated with brightly colored silk bows, golden bells, round glass spheres that sparkled in the dim sun and paper cranes with a glass star on the top bough that caught the wan sunlight and sent a rainbow reflecting on the other baubles on the tree. A sign right above it read "CHRISTMAS TREES HERE". The crowd murmured the occasional comment, clearly in awe of the display.

"_Kirei! Isn't that something?"_

"_I wonder what a Christmas Tree is?"_

"_I heard it's a custom from the West."_

"_Amazing. And look at all the bells and bows!"_

"_Yukimura-san really outdid himself with this."_

"_I bet it cost a pretty penny."_

The children especially were gathered about the tree in amazed wonder, some reaching with tentative and curious fingers for a bow or bell with their parents nearby to pull the inquisitive hands away. The former battousai's son was no different as he bulldozed through the crowd to get right up to the tree, his eyes focused on the decorations laden on the branches just above his head.

Kaoru and Kenshin both kept a watchful eye on their child as the jovial Yukimura came out of the shop to greet the crowd with a warm smile. He was a short, rotund man, with a shock of white hair and a simple beard and mustache, clad in a bright scarlet kimono and hakama. His voice rang out as he approached the curious onlookers.

"Konichi-wa, minna," he said as he gazed down fondly at the children, his limpid brown eyes twinkling at the little ones who all bombarded him with questions about the tree, which he tried his best to answer. The rest of the crowd responded with their own words of praise for the lovely decoration that had in fact brightened up the entire area of the market place and the Himura family waited to pay homage as well.

After the crowd had tinned somewhat Kenshin moved forward with his own smile and addressed the man with a respectful bow. "Yukimura-dono, the tree is very beautiful, that it truly is."

"Hai it is," Kaoru echoed, bowing as well.

Yukimura bowed in response as he answered, "You both are very kind. Actually, I got the idea when I was in Yokohama, getting some silk for my arrangements and saw one in a window. It's called a 'Christmas Tree' and is the main decoration for a winter holiday celebrated in the West."

"Is that so?" Kaoru asked. "So it comes from England or France?"

"The holiday is celebrated there as well as in America but the tradition of decorating evergreen trees actually came from Germany," Yukimura explained as he watched Kenji's rapt fascination with the decorated tree. "It's the latest thing so I thought I'd do the same thing here in Tokyo."

"Well it certainly is festive," Kenshin remarked cheerfully as he spotted Kenji reaching for a glass ornament in the shape of two birds. He then reached to intercept his son's hand in a paternal manner while admonishing, "Iie, iie, Kenji. You must not touch that, that you must not."

Kenji protested with a squeal as Kaoru apologized for her son's behavior. "Onegai, we're sorry to cause such a ruckus."

Yukimura-san chuckled merrily as he reassured the exasperated young mother, "Think nothing of it, the boy has a healthy curiosity and has done no harm." The kind man leaned down and addressed the toddler directly.

"Do you like something on the tree, Kenii?" His chocolate eyes twinkled as Kenji nodded.

"What?"

Kenji pointed at the twin birds. "I want that," he said.

Kaoru said firmly, "Kenii-chan, we can't take one of Yukimura-san's decorations." But her statement caused the small boy to wail in protest, drawing stares from passersby. Embarrassed, she cast a helpless glance toward her husband with a silent plea _help me!_

Kenshin saw his wife in distress and admonished his son, "Kenji, your okaa says no and so do I so we will be going."

Kenji opened his mouth to let loose another screech when Yukimura plucked the ornament and placed it in his tiny hand. "Here, Kenii. A gift for you to hang on your own Christmas tree."

Amethyst eyes wide, Kenji held the delicate glass figure in both hands. His cry morphed into an "Ohhh!" as his parents both thanked the floral design artisan for his generosity. Kenshin bowed deeply in gratitude as he directed his son.

You must thank Yukimura-dono for his gift, Kenji, that you must." His voice was gentle but brooked no disobedience.

The boy's eyes met his father's in a violet to violet clash and seeing the earnest expression on the larger man's face, he reluctantly relented and bowed to the smiling older man, albeit with a pout.

"Arigatou."

"Good boy." Kenshin approved his son, drawing a rare smile from the boy. However he saw the dubious expression on his wife's beautiful face and was concerned. "Is there something troubling you, Kaoru?"

With a frown Kaoru bowed in thanks to the benevolent shopkeeper as well but demurred, "That's very kind of you but we have no such tree at home on which to hang it." She added, "And I know we have no other such decorations.

Yet Yukimura was undaunted as he chuckled, "I have everything needed right here to decorate your own Christmas tree." He turned and gestured to several shelves in his shop filled with silver and golden bells, silk bows of every hue and all kinds of glass and paper ornaments.

Holding Kenji's hand Kenshin told his wife, "We could buy everything we need here."

But always practical, Kaoru protested, "We still don't have a tree and I don't know if or where we can get one."

"Then come with me." Yukimura headed to the back of the shop with the young family in tow and opened the rear door to the courtyard in back of the store. There they all looked stunned as they saw rows of evergreen trees, their trunks planted in red wooden pails, ready to be decorated. He smiled and said, "They are quite reasonable."

With both sets of violet eyes pleading with her, Kaoru could ill refuse. She sighed in resignation and said brightly, "Well, let's first pick out our tree then the decorations, shall we?"

An hour later, the trio was exiting the shop with the ever-smiling Yukimura behind them. Kenshin lifted his son up onto his shoulders, an action of his that Kenji enjoyed as he began to giggle and pat the titian head causing Kenshin himself to laugh, both their spirits elated by the purchases just made. Kaoru turned and finished making arrangements for delivery.

"So you can have them delivered to the Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu Dojo tomorrow any time after breakfast," she directed as she handed the money to Yukimura.

He took the currency and said with a nod, "Hai Himura-san, I will have my men deliver everything tomorrow.' He bowed low and added, "Arigatou and Merry Christmas."

Kaoru's sapphire eyes widened. "Merry Christmas?"

Yukimura nodded, "That is the Western greeting for the holiday. It is the day after tomorrow, so you will have your tree just in time." He bowed and went back into the shop leaving Kaoru outside to gaze at the tree outside thoughtfully.

"Okaa, come," Kenji called to her from Kenshin's shoulders as he waited with a question in his eyes. Kaoru came over to her family and smiled to indicate she was fine and then they began to walk home under lowering gray skies…

Later, after the evening meal Kaoru was in Kenji's room, putting the tired youngster down as Kenshin stood in the living area, staring out the slightly open shoji at the rapidly falling snow. The pregnant gray clouds had begun spitting the white flakes just as he and his little family arrived home and since they had their dinner, they were falling down at a much faster pace and had covered the ground in a thickening blanket of white. It was beautiful but its beauty was lost on Kenshin, for him the snow just brought back memories that caused his heart to ache with the lingering pain of what had happened fourteen years before. For to him the snow represented not the purity of white but the cold dark of death, its pristine surface stained with shed blood, the blood of his beloved first wife, Tomoe her body impaled by his own sword. And because of that he loathed the snow and saw it as ugly and vile, yet watched each time it fell, his mind filled with vivid pictures of that fateful and horrible day when snow was also falling.

In morbid fascination Kenshin glared at the twirling delicate crystals and hated them with all his being as Tomoe's last gasps echoed in his ears once more, distant cries from the past that would not let him go. He closed his eyes as once again he was in the snowy field where Tatsumi, the assassin of the Yaminobu had tried to take his life and just as he drew his sword to end his miserable life, Tomoe ran in front, causing him to pierce her slender body as well. He had then watched in stunned horror as she dragged her dagger across his left cheek, over the first scar that her former fiancé Kiyosato left to complete the cross that represented deep wounds that would never truly heal. His eyes filled with tears, he cradled her until the last of her lifeblood ran out, turning the snow to crimson. After burning the house they had shared to the ground he had then continued serving in the Ishin Shishi until the battle of Toba Fushima and at the end stabbed his katana into the ground and walked away, vowing to never again use a sword to take a life, wandering Japan for ten long lonely years…

While Kenshin was again lost in his anguished past, Kaoru entered the room and stopped as she saw him at the shoji, watching the snow fall. She sighed softly as she knew how her husband was always pensive and brooded during snowstorms. She also knew the reason behind his painful reverie and eager to share his burden she silently moved toward him, her own eyes welling with tears for his pain. Drawing beside him, she rested her hands on his shoulders and her forehead on his back as her tears flowed down her cheek and wet his gi…

Breaking through the maudlin thoughts that shrouded him Kenshin felt the butterfly touch and warm dampness of the tears of his young wife. They brought him back from the dark memories in his heart, splitting it with a beam of light, the light that the lovely Kamiya Kaoru had brought when he first met her in a foggy alley. It was always like that since that day for Kaoru had been the one to bring him from the dark abyss of the ruthless killer battousai that was at the very dregs of his soul. Without hesitation she ignored the fact he was a legendary killer and offered sanctuary at the dojo where his soul healed and his heart mended. She had become his refuge and for that she would be adored by him for all eternity.

Sighing softly as he shook away the last shadows of the past from his thoughts he murmured, "You'll catch a draft if you stand here any longer, that you will."

She retorted, "So will you if you stay as well."

Chuckling Kenshin nodded, "Agreed. Then we'll both get away from the cold."

Kaoru stepped back and he reached over and slid the shoji shut, and then the heavy wooden door to keep the cold out. Then he took hold of his wife's hands and rubbing them gently whispered, "Your hands are cold, koishii. Let me warm them."

Kaoru watched as Kenshin brought both hands to his lips where he kissed each fingertip, breathing a soft, warm breath on each to take away the chill. His gesture was loving and protective and he did it as a labor of love for she again brought joy flooding into his heart…as she always did. His eyes were infused with the glow of that joy as he finished his task.

Her own eyes sparkling like jewels, Kaoru opened her mouth to speak but Kenshin took his finger to lay on her lips then ran it down to her chin to draw them to his. The kiss was warm and insistent as he probed with his tongue to bid entrance to taste the sweet nectar that was his Kaoru. Evoking a moan then a surprised gasp from her, Kenshin scooped her up into his arms and while still kissing her, he carried her out of the room and to their bedchamber…

……………………………………………………………………….

The next day, they were just finishing clearing away the breakfast dishes, and Yahiko, who had arrived to teach his classes was dismayed as he was informed the classes for the next two days were cancelled. He confronted Kaoru and demanded to know why.

"Hey Kaoru, what's the deal? Why are classes cancelled, huh?"

Yahiko's volatile manner was in full form as he watched Kaoru and Kenshin bustle about, heading into the sitting room and clearing away some tables by the shoji. They opened the rice paper panel to let the sunshine in, made brilliant by reflecting off the pure white cover of snow from the previous night's storm, making the room quite bright. Ignoring him, the couple continued making what appeared to be preparations for something. Standing by with Kenji the young assistant instructor was getting impatient and tried to get the sensei's attention as she hurried past.

"Hey Kaoru, tell me what's happ--," Yahiko started to ask as Kaoru brushed by, passing Kenshin as he came in with a large cloth, which he spread in the corner by the shoji.

Yahiko then tried to get information from the former swordsman. "Yo, Kenshin, what gives here today? And what's that for?" but he just smiled and replied as he too rushed off.

"Gomen Yahiko, please forgive us. It will be here any moment, that it will."

"What will be here any moment?" Yahiko pressed but got no answer as Kenshin exited the room leaving the young man more confused then ever. He then turned and looked down as Kenji tugged at his hakama to get his attention.

"Cismas tree. Cismas tree," the toddler said to answer but Yahiko paid him no mind as he grabbed Kaoru by the arm as she was hurrying past again.

"Kuso Kaoru, tell me what the hell's goin' on," he snapped as Kenji kept tugging at him, making him even more irritated. He yelled at the boy "Shimatta, stop that now!"

Hurt by Yahiko's scolding the boy's periwinkle orbs filled with tears and he began to cry, drawing his mother's full attention so she scooped him up to soothe him while glaring at her former student. His abrupt manner with her child got Kaoru's ire so she whirled and smartly boxed the teenager's head.

"I've told you not to use that kind of language in front of Kenji, Yahiko!" she railed as she tried to wipe the little boy's face dry of his tears. "It's bad enough that he's gotten more punchy from being around you, I don't want him to pick up any of your filthy mouth."

"Owww! That hurt, busu!"

For his usual derogatory way of addressing her, Kaoru delivered another stinging blow to the young man, who got the message and showed respect by grudgingly accepting his punishment. Yahiko rubbed his head and retorted, "He got on my nerves. Anyway, you want him to be tough, not some okama, don't you?"

Kaoru finished wiping Kenji's eyes and bent down to put him on a cushion, telling him to sit quietly. She then got up and addressed Yahiko.

"I want him to be a gentleman. With manners and breeding, which will not make him any less strong." She sighed and added, "Just like his father."

Yahiko opened his mouth to debate the issue but in sight of the logic of her statement he could not say a thing. Since he was a boy himself, and met the swordsman of legends himself, Himura Kenshin had been his idol and the example of the kind of man he aspired to be. For Kenji to grow up and become as his father would make him quite a man indeed.

"Aa," he agreed solemnly as a pounding on the front gate interrupted the conversation.

Kenshin's tenor echoed in the front hall. "Just a minute." He went and opened the door and then went to the front gate to find Yukimura and two burly men waiting with a handcart laden with several crates and a large evergreen tree.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Himura-san," the portly artisan greeted him with a bow and a grin. "I hope we are not too early but I just finished the last bows and wanted to get everything here right away."

"Ohayo gozaimasu to you," Kenshin responded bowing as well. "Not at all, we're all ready for you."

"Then show me and my men where to set up and we'll get to work."

He smiled with a nod as he stepped back to let the trio in, leading them through the snow and in the open front door, where Kaoru, Kenji, and Yahiko all waited. Kaoru, carrying Kenji came forward and welcomed Yukimura to her home as Kenshin and the other men followed him inside.

"Ohayo gozaimasu Yukimura-san," she said graciously as Kenji giggled and offered a wee hand, which the kindly old man shook in greeting.

He bowed and responded, "And to you, Himura-san and Kenii-chan. I have come bringing your---,"

"Crismas tree! Crismas tree!" Kenji cried happily, wriggling in his mother's arms.

Yukimura laughed, "That's right. Do you have the ornament I gave you yesterday, Kenii-chan?"

Kenji shook his head and pointed to his mother. "Okaa, okaa."

Kaoru replied, "I had to put it away to keep it safe, Yukimura-san. Or else it would have ended up broken an hour after we got home."

Kenshin agreed, "Hai, Kaoru-dono had to take it away because he wanted to play with it like a ball, that he did."

"Is that so? Well now he can go get it because we have a tree to put it on." Yukimura turned to his men and directed, "Sasuke, Takemaru, go and get the tree and bring it in."

Both men nodded. "Hai."

Kenshin said, "I'll go and lend my assistance, that I will." He glanced at the former pickpocket and asked, "Yahiko, will you help too?"

Never able to refuse Kenshin a request he said, "Aa," but was still as confused as ever _Why on earth would Kenshin and Kaoru put a tree inside their house? _He followed and pondered _Maybe he'll tell me._

The four of them went out as Kaoru gestured and turned toward the sitting room. "Onegai, follow me and I'll show you where we want it."

She put Kenji down and taking his hand she led the artisan into the sitting room and over to the corner where Kenshin had laid the cloth. A few minutes later Sasuke, Takemaru, Yahiko, and Kenshin came in, with the tree and the crates, all filled with the bows, bells, and glass ornaments they had chosen in Yukimura's shop the other day.

"Stand back everyone," Yukimura commanded as his two assistants brought the tree in and placed the red pail bearing the evergreen on the spread cloth in the corner. The two men then bowed and took their leave as Kenshin and Yahiko placed the crates down beside it and Yahiko took his chance to find out about the strange goings on.

"Hey Kenshin," he whispered as Yukimura, Kaoru, and Kenji gathered about the crates to pull out all the decorations. "What's this all about?"

The former hitokiri smiled and replied, "We're putting up a Christmas tree, that we are."

Totally bemused Yahiko inquired, "What's a Christmas tree?' but his question went unanswered as Tae and Tsubame came into the bustling room.

Tae bowed with a smile. "Forgive us but the door was open and we just came in."

Kaoru smiled back. "That's no problem Tae-san, you're just in time. We were expecting you." She added, sneaking a sly glance at Yahiko, "I see Tsubame-chan came as well. I know a certain someone who's happy about that."

"Hey what're you saying, busu?" Yahiko sputtered, a red flush climbing up from his neck.

"Kaoru-san!" Tsubame said in consternation, her own pretty face blushing. Since turning fifteen, she had grown into a very beautiful young lady, something not unnoticed by the youthful assistant master of the Kamiya-Kasshin Ryu.

Tae snickered joining the fun and then stopped when she saw Tsubame's discomfort. She came forward holding up a gift. "Here, Kaoru-chan. Tsubame and I made this string of paper cranes to wish you luck and happiness. You can hang them on the tree."

Kaoru accepted the gift with joy as she had stopped at the Akabeko on the way home from the market yesterday and told her all about them getting a Christmas tree. Tae as always was thrilled since she was a true fan of the influx of Western culture and customs entering Japan at the time and had a Christmas tree herself. She went over to Kenshin to show him and he too was delighted by the gesture.

"Arigatou Tae-dono," he said bowing.

"We can put it on the top branches so it will not be hidden by the rest," Yukimura said, taking the chain and artfully draping it over the two uppermost branches. He then leaned down and got to work, hanging bells and the bows he painstakingly made. Kaoru first went and retrieved the ornament Kenji got from Yukimura and then handed it to him, admonishing him to be careful.

Kenshin announced, "Come minna. Let's all decorate the tree." He lifted his son up onto his shoulders and said to him. "You help too, Kenji, ne?"

The tiny redhead nodded, "Hai otou." With Kenshin's help, he leaned and took the ornament with the two birds Yukimura gave him and carefully hung it on a bough midway between the top and bottom, appearing as if they were real birds, nesting in the branches. The task completed, the boy giggled as the ornament tinkled.

"That's a fine job, Kenji, that it was," Kenshin praised his son, gaining a pound on the head as his son slapped his hands down on Kenshin in glee. Kaoru clapped her hands for Kenji and he gazed at her adoringly.

"Subarashii, Kenii-chan," she said smiling.

She and Tae came and reached in the crates to do the same, choosing some glass balls to hang on the tree that sparkled in the afternoon sun, streaming in from the shoji. They reached for more as everyone in the room busied themselves with the work at hand, save for Tsubame and Yahiko, who just watched in bemusement.

"I still don't get it," the youth whispered to Tsubame. "Even if it is a Western custom, to put a tree in the house to decorate just seems strange to me."

"It seems strange to me too," Tsubame agreed. But she smiled as she watched the tree getting more and more filled with décor and added, "Oddly though looking at it warms my heart."

"Really?" Yahiko was dubious as a stray ray of afternoon sunlight hit the tree and the golden bells and glass balls all glistened as with an inner light, mesmerizing him. His eyes wide with wonder, the irascible young man stared at the tree in a new way…

It was right after sunset when the tree was finally finished and everyone headed into the dining room to eat a meal prepared by Tae, leaving Kenshin and Kaoru alone in the sitting room, gazing at the tree in each other's arms. Evening had fallen and the only light in the room was a lantern that was burning low.

Kaoru sighed as she breathed, "Isn't it beautiful, Kenshin?"

He nodded, squeezing her shoulders. "That it most certainly is, koishii. And everybody did a fine job decorating it, that they did."

Kaoru nodded in agreement as she suggested, "Let's go and join the others before Yahiko devours all the food, you know the kind of appetite he has."

Kenshin laughed heartily, "So true, my Kaoru. But first I'll close the shoji, it's gotten rather cold, that it has." He went to the shoji and as he saw the snow old dark thoughts of the past began to haunt him as they did the night before but they were halted and he was stopped in his tracks by the next vision he saw…

A great star, that shone like a sun spilled its light onto the pristine snow outside creating a dazzling carpet of pure white. Kenshin stared at that but then gasped as the light from the star streamed into the room and set the tree aglow, the light causing each bell, bow and ball to shimmer. An overwhelming sense of peace and freedom filled him as he felt the shadows of the past begin to recede and then vanish.

Kaoru was at the door waiting when she saw her husband by the still open shoji, as if frozen by the chilled air. Impatient, she went to him to get him to hurry up as he had yet to close the portal was just standing there. She opened her mouth to protest but stopped awestruck as she too saw the spectacle and went to Kenshin's side.

"Kenshin, can you see it? The tree, it's…glowing."

"Hai," he answered as his eyes studied the star, marveling at how the light calmed his spirit and guided his focus back inside to the tree and Kaoru. It enveloped her and surrounded her in a celestial aura that made her appear like a heavenly being. Kenshin smiled as suddenly he was enlightened by a revelation.

**_Look ahead to the future, as bright as this star. The past is over._**

_My future with Kaoru._ "Arigatou," he said aloud and Kaoru, hearing his thanks slipped her arm around his shoulder and nuzzled him.

"You are very, very welcome, Kenshin-anata," she murmured as they both gazed at the tree, the first of many they would enjoy at this time of year, every year from now on as a symbol of the bright future, together.

**MERRY CHRISTMAS**


End file.
